BIOS
I'll preface this by stating that voltages cannot be modified whatsoever. This is probably sensible due to the lack of additional cooling we have at our disposal.
With a Northwood B processor in place, we are given the option of running FSBs between 133 and 165 in one MHz increments. It's all jumper-free, too.
This shot shows the BIOS timings on offer. You can either choose to have RAM detected by SPD or manually set it to whatever you feel your RAM can do at default voltages. Running some proven Corsair XMS3200 C2, I set it to the timings shown above. For the first time on an Intel motherboard, I see the option of running memory at DDR333. This can be set to DDR200 or DDR266 if your system RAM isn't quite up to the job.
On-chip VGA can be toggled on /off in this section. The Intel on-board i830 is no match for a modern, dedicated graphics card, it's sole purpose appears to lie providing workable 2D.
Some of the features on offer are highlighted in a separate screen. You can't seem to turn off Firewire or LAN from within BIOS.
This shot highlights one of the Shuttle's features. The Fan AutoGuardian allows you to reduce the CPU cooler's speed to a more palatable ~ 2000rpm. At this speed it's barely noticeable. Without the AutoGuardian, the supplied Sunon fan makes quite a racket spinning at ~ 3800rpm. You can also predefine a temperature at which the fan speeds back up again to avoid overheating.
The 200w PSU, powering a number of power-hungry components, takes a reasonable hit on the 12v line. Under load it averages around 11.3v. The important aspect, however, is that it's stable.
Although the motherboard is a miniature version of the ones that we are used to, the BIOS doesn't skimp on any features. If you didn't know better, and excluding the lack of voltage adjustment, the SB51G's BIOS is better than a number of standard-sized motherboards' offerings.
Running at the default 2.8GHz, with a Radeon 9700 Pro, WD 120GB, and Pioneer 104 DVD-RW providing a reasonable amount of heat in a closed case environment, The CPU was reported as hovering around the 59-62c mark when placed under SETI load.
